The Rockets have dealt with several other injuries this season, as have the Pelicans.

"We have had guys step up in different rotations," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "But it does throw your progress off. When you start the season without Ryan (Anderson) and you lose (Anthony Davis), and Tyreke (Evans) has been in and out; now no Eric. I am thankful our guys have had injuries they can bounce back from. You look around the league where some guys won't be back this season. We are thankful that our guys can play."

Rockets coach Kevin McHale said that although he is still missing a few players, he is pleased to have several players back in the lineup. The Rockets have had several practices this season where they have had only seven or eight players available.

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New Orleans coach Monty Williams knew headed into Saturday night's game against the Rockets that his team would be challenged by Rockets stars James Harden and Dwight Howard

He said he was more worried about a couple other Rockets, though.

"Everybody talks about Harden and Howard, rightfully so," Williams said. "Those guys are All-Stars and will probably get to the Hall of Fame. But Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons are the ones that bother me because people don't respect those guys enough."

Williams said that preparing for Parsons and Lin, as well as some of the Rockets' bench players, is a challenging task for opposing teams.

"Parsons is one of the better small forwards in the league," he said. "He really does it on both ends. And Lin, you look at his production, how he attacks the basket, how he shoots. … He is a tough player. They have a number of guys you have to pay attention to."

Old teammates meet as rivals

When Terrence Jones and Anthony Davis passed in the Toyota Center hallway between the Rockets' and Pelicans' locker rooms, they had no need for small talk or holiday greetings and went straight to the topic that mattered most.

"You see the score?" Jones said, wearing a smile large enough to give the answer. "We're up 10."

Kentucky finished off Louisville while the former Wildcats teammates prepared to face each other for the first time in an NBA regular-season game. But there was another reason they could go past the news and weather and head directly to sports.

"We're very close, face time all the time," Jones said. "It's fun stepping on this court every day and putting on this jersey. The opportunity to play against an old teammate, one of my brothers, is great. I'm just focused on a win. Just to see him and our dreams come true is a great feeling."

Davis said he had not given a thought to going against his friend and former teammate for the first time.

"I'm not thinking about Terrence or anything like that; I'm just trying to play basketball," Davis said. "Of course, it's going to be fun to play against a guy you used to play with in college or high school or wherever. But that can't be the only thing that's on my mind. We roll on two different missions, trying to help our team win. He's my friend, but he's the enemy now.

"He's a good player. He's starting to come along. He's playing well, and the Rockets are starting to see where he can fit in."